Suspension Conveyance Apparatus

ABSTRACT

A support structure for a receiver ( 18 ) which is provided on a hanger arm for supporting an object to be conveyed and the position of which can be switched is simplified. A suspension conveyance apparatus has a long hole ( 31 ) provided at a shaft support section for a parallel link ( 24 ) that laterally movably supports a receiver ( 18 ) and permitting vertical movement of the receiver ( 18 ), a spring ( 28   a ) for urging the receiver ( 18 ) to a direction to pull down the receiver ( 18 ) on to a receiver support member ( 21   a ), an engagement member ( 33 ) provided on the receiver supporting member ( 21   a ) side, and two inner and outer engagement recesses ( 32   a   , 32   b ) arranged on the receiver ( 18 ) side so as to engage with the engagement member ( 33 ) when the receiver ( 18 ) is at both inner and outer positions (P 1 , P 2 ), at a level at which the receiver ( 18 ) is supported by the receiver support member ( 21   a ). A receiver drive means ( 42 ) for laterally moving the receiver ( 18 ) between both inner and outer positions (P 1 , P 2 ) is provided at a receiver switching position in a traveling route of a conveying traveling body ( 1 ).

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a suspension conveyance apparatus inwhich a hanger for supporting an object to be conveyed suspended from aconveying traveling body is provided with pairs of left and rightopenable and closable hanger arms which have receivers for receiving anobject to be conveyed on lower end inner sides and whose upper end sidesare pivotally supported so as to freely swing to the left and right.

BACKGROUND ART

In the suspension conveyance apparatus described above, as described inPatent Document 1, there is known a construction in which the receiverscan be switched in position between inner and outer positions in theopening and closing direction with respect to the hanger arms so as toadapt to a change in distance between supported positions of both leftand right sides of an object to be conveyed (positions supported by thereceivers). In detail, the receiver is supported movably straightly on areceiver support member on the hanger arm side in a manner enabling itto laterally move between inner and outer positions in the opening andclosing direction, and on the receiver side, a lock pin that freelyelevates and a spring that urges the lock pin downward are provided, alock pin slide guide having engagement recesses on both ends in whichthe lock pin falls and engages due to an urging force of the spring isprovided on the receiver support member side, and at receiver switchingpositions set in a traveling route of a conveying traveling body, a lockpin pushing-up means for pushing up the lock pin engaged in theengagement recess to unlock the receiver and a receiver drive means forlaterally moving the receiver in the position switching direction areprovided.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No.H04-153118

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention

The conventional construction described in the Patent Document 1 is astructure in which the positions of the receivers are not determinedunless the receivers are locked by the lock pins at the inner and outerpositions in the opening and closing direction, and it is necessary tounlock the receivers by pushing up the lock pins at both a combinationof a point at which the receivers are switched from the inner positionsto the outer positions and a point at which the receivers are switchedfrom the outer positions to the inner positions. In addition, not onlyslide guide rails for supporting the receivers movably between the innerand outer positions but also elevating lock pins and lock pin slideguides for guiding the lock pins are necessary, and this makes thestructure complicated and increases the size of the entire receiversection.

Means for Solving Problems

An object of the invention is to provide a suspension conveyanceapparatus capable of solving the above-described conventional problem,which is provided with, showing means thereof by attaching the referencenumerals in parentheses of the embodiments described later, a hanger(14) for supporting an object to be conveyed suspended from a conveyingtraveling body (1) having a pair of left and right openable and closablehanger arms (16) which have receivers (18) for receiving an object to beconveyed (W) on their lower end inner sides and whose upper end sidesare pivotally supported so as to freely swing to the left and right,where the receivers (18) are switchable in position between innerpositions (P1) and outer positions (P2) in the opening and closingdirection with respect to the hanger arms (16), wherein the receiver(18) is supported on receiver support members (21 a and 21 b) on thehanger arm (16) side by parallel links (23 and 24) laterally movablybetween the inner and outer positions (P1 and P2), and at shaft supportsections of the parallel links (23 and 24), long holes (31) which allowvertical movement of the receivers (18) are provided and urging means(28 a and 28 b) are provided which urge the receiver (18) to a directionto pull down the receiver (18) onto the receiver support members (21 aand 21 b), and at a receiver switching position in a traveling route ofthe conveying traveling body (1), a receiver drive means (42) forlaterally moving the receiver (18) between the inner positions (P1) andthe outer positions (P2) is provided.

When carrying out the invention constructed as described above, indetail, as in a second aspect, among engagement recesses (32 a and 32b), at least an inner engagement recess (32 a) which engages with anengagement member (33) when the receiver (18) is at the outer position(P2), and this engagement member (33) are shaped to prevent the receiver(18) from moving to the inner position (P1), and among the receiverswitching positions at which the receiver drive means (42) is provided,at least at the receiver switching position for switching the receiver(18) from the outer position (P2) to the inner position (P1), a receiverpushing-up means (41) which means push up the receiver (18) from a levelsupported by the receiver support members (21 a and 21 b) to release theengagement between the inner engagement recess (32 a) and the engagementmember (33) can also be provided.

When employing the construction according to the second aspect, as in athird aspect, among the engagement recesses (32 a and 32 b), at leastthe outer engagement recess (32 b) which engages with an engagementmember (33) when the receiver (18) is at the inner position (P1), andthis engagement member (33) can be formed into shapes so that thereceiver (18) gets onto the engagement member (33) when the receiver(18) moves to the outer position (P2).

When employing the construction according to the second aspect, as in afourth aspect, a pair of receiver support members (21 a and 21 b) arearranged in parallel, and on the receiver (18) supported on the receiversupport members (21 a and 21 b), link shaft support members (22 a and 22b) which freely fit between the pair of receiver support members (21 aand 21 b) are projectedly provided, and parallel links (23 and 24) areinterposed between lower support shafts (26 a and 26 b) laid across thepair of receiver support members (21 a and 21 b) and upper supportshafts (27 a and 27 b) provided on the link shaft support members (22 aand 22 b), the long holes (31) at the shaft support sections of theparallel links (23 and 24) are provided as shaft holes which the uppersupport shafts (27 a and 27 b) of the parallel links (23 and 24) areinserted through, the two inner and outer engagement recesses (32 a and32 b) are formed on the lower sides of the link shaft support members(22 a and 22 b), the engagement member (33) is laid across the pair ofreceiver support members (21 a and 21 b), the receiver pushing-up means(41) push the lower sides of the link shaft support members (22 a and 22b) between the pair of receiver support members (21 a and 21 b). Ofcourse, this construction can be carried out in combination with theconstruction according to a third aspect.

The urging means can be formed of, as in the fifth aspect, tensionsprings (28 a and 28 b) interposed between lower support shafts (26 aand 26 b) and upper support shafts (27 a and 27 b). This constructioncan be carried out in combination with the construction according to anyone of the first through fourth aspects. When the construction of thisfifth aspect is employed, as in the sixth aspect, the link shaft supportmembers (22 a and 22 b) and the parallel links (23 and 24) are arrangedin parallel one pair each, and the tension springs (28 a and 28 b) canbe disposed between the pair of link shaft support members (22 a and 22b), and as in the seventh aspect, the tension springs (28 a and 28 b)are formed to be flat by bending both ends of a straight spring wireinto arc shapes on the same plane, and the arc sections on both ends arehooked around the lower support shafts (26 a and 26 b) and the uppersupport shafts (27 a and 27 b). As in the eighth aspect, the tensionsprings (28 a and 28 b) can be formed into S shapes by bending the arcsections on both ends oppositely to each other.

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION

According to the suspension conveyance apparatus of the inventionconstructed as described above, while the receivers are automaticallypositioned at the inner and outer positions by engagement between theengagement recesses and the engagement members, the engagement membersdo not need to be movable members like conventional elevating lock pins,and may be members fixed to the receiver support member sides, so thatcoupled with the structure in which the receivers are supported byparallel links and the lock pin slide guides for guiding theconventional lock pins are unnecessary, the structure of the entirereceiver section becomes very simple and can be made small in a size.

The state that the receivers are positioned at the inner and outerpositions by engagement between the engagement recesses and theengagement members can be maintained by urging forces of urging meanswhich pull down the receivers to the receiver support member sides, sothat the means for locking the receivers at the inner and outerpositions are basically unnecessary, however, in the case where thereceivers are at the outer positions, when the hanger arms are openedoutward for loading and unloading an object to be conveyed, the inwardmoving directions of the receivers become diagonal up-down directions,and gravity acts to a direction to promote the inward movements of thereceivers, so that the engagement recesses get onto and are disengagedfrom engagement members due to reactive forces against the urging forcesand the receivers may unexpectedly move laterally to the inner positionsand be switched in position, however, for this problem, by employing theconstruction according to the second aspect, at least when the receiversare at the outer positions, the engagement recesses and the engagementmembers can reliably prevent the receivers from moving to the innerpositions, so that the receivers can be held at the outer positionswithout fail and safety can be increased. To switch the receivers at theouter positions to the inner positions, the receivers themselves arepushed up so that the engagement recesses are disengaged upward from theengagement members, and in comparison with the conventional case wheresmall lock pins projecting laterally sideward from the receivers must bepushed up, the construction of the means for pushing-up to be installedon the traveling route side of the conveying traveling body becomessimpler.

According to the third aspect, to switch the receivers at the innerpositions to the outer positions, it is not necessary to release theengagement between the engagement recesses and the engagement members bypushing up the receivers, and the receivers are only directly forciblymoved to the outer positions, so that among receiver switching positionsset in the traveling route of the conveying traveling body, at thereceiver switching position for switching the receiver at the innerposition to the outer position, provision of the unlocking means, thatis, provision of the receiver pushing-up means is omitted and theconstruction is simplified, and the cost can be reduced. In addition, tomove the receivers from the inner positions to the outer positions, theengagement recesses must get onto and disengage from the engagementmembers against the urging forces of the urging means, so thatresistance for this releasing can be made sufficiently high and thedanger of unexpected movements of the receivers from the inner positionsto the outer positions due to vibrations can be eliminated.

In addition, according to the fourth aspect, not only can the entiretyincluding the receiver and the support structure for the receiver on thehanger arm lower end inner side be made compact, but also the receiverpushing-up means to be provided on the conveying route side can also bemade compact. In this case, according to the fifth aspect, the supportstructure for the receiver on the hanger arm lower end inner sidebecomes simpler. Furthermore, according to a sixth aspect, the stabilityof the receivers can be increased.

Furthermore, according to the seventh aspect, the tension springsconstituting the urging means have a flat and very simple structureobtained only by bending both ends of a straight spring wire materialinto arc shapes, and in comparison with the conventional case where atension coil spring having arched hooks formed on both ends is used asan urging means, the cost can be further reduced, and the urging meanscan be incorporated in the receiver support structure if a spaceslightly wider than the diameter of the spring wire material is securedin the structure, so that the lateral width of the receiver supportstructure can be greatly narrowed. In this case, according to the eighthaspect, the tension spring can be increased in effective length, and canbe incorporated so as not to easily come off.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a conveying traveling body having a hangerfor supporting an object to be conveyed;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the same conveying traveling body;

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing receiver drive means at a receiverswitching position and receivers;

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing receiver pushing-up means and receivers;

FIG. 5 is a back view showing a receiver drive means, a receiverpushing-up means, and a receiver on one side at a receiver switchingposition;

FIG. 6 is a partially longitudinal sectional side view showing areceiver drive means, a receiver pushing-up means, and a receiver on oneside at the receiver switching position from the inner side;

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional front view of a main part showing areceiver held at an inner position, a receiver drive means, and areceiver pushing-up means;

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional front view of the main part showing astate that the receiver shown in FIG. 7 is moved to an outer position bythe receiver drive means;

FIG. 9 is a longitudinal front view of the main part showing a statethat the receiver at the outer position is pushed up by the receiverpushing-up means;

FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional side view of FIG. 7 or FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a partially exploded longitudinal sectional side view showingdetails of a receiver support structure; and

FIG. 12 is a longitudinal sectional side view of the receiver supportstructure at an engagement member position.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS

-   1: conveying traveling body-   14: hanger for supporting an object to be conveyed-   15: a pair of front left and right hanger arms-   16: a pair of rear left and right hanger arms-   18: receiver-   21 a, 21 b: a pair of receiver support members-   22 a, 22 b: a pair of link shaft support members-   23, 24: two pairs of parallel links-   25 a, 25 b: link-   26 a, 26 b: lower support shaft-   27 a, 27 b: upper support shaft-   28, 28 b: tension spring-   31: long hole-   32 a, 32 b: two inner and outer engagement recesses-   33: engagement member-   34: vertical engagement surface-   35A, 35B: receiver pushing-up means-   36A, 36B: receiver drive means-   37 a, 37 b: a pair of left and right movable members-   38: elevating guide rod-   39: fluid pressure cylinder-   40: elevating support arm-   41: pusher-   42: downward open groove shaped member-   43: a pair of left and right movable members-   45: slide guide rail-   46: slider-   47: a pair of left and right fluid pressure cylinders-   P1: inner position of position switching target receiver-   P2: outer position of position switching target receiver-   W: object to be conveyed

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, a detailed embodiment of the invention will be describedbased on the accompanying drawings. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the referencenumeral 1 denotes a conveying traveling body constituted of a pair offront and rear load trolleys 3 and 4 supported on trolley guide rails 2,load bars 5 suspended by these load trolleys 3 and 4, and a front freetrolley 8 and a rear free trolley 9 which are connected to therespective load trolleys 3 and 4 by connection rods 6 and 7 andsupported on the trolley guide rails 2. This conveying traveling body 1is driven when a pusher 12 provided on a drive chain 11 which issuspended on a drive chain guide rail 10 laid on upper sides of thetrolley guide rails 2 along the trolley guide rails via a trolley and isdriven by a drive means that is not shown pushes, from the rear side, amain dog 13 which is provided on the front free trolley 8 so as toadvance and retreat.

In the conveying traveling body 1, a hanger 14 for supporting an objectto be conveyed is suspended from a load bar 5. This hanger 14 isconstituted of a pair of front left and right hanger arms 15 and a pairof rear left and right hanger arms 16, and each of the pairs of left andright hanger arms 15 and 16 is provided with receivers 18 whose upperends are pivotally supported on left and right ends of lateral members 5a and 5 b continuously provided laterally on the front and rear ends ofthe load bar 5 so as to be opened and closed to the left and right byhorizontal support shafts 17 in the front and rear direction, and whoselower end inner sides are provided with receivers 18 which supportbottom sections of left and right sides of an object to be conveyed W.

In the hanger 14 of this embodiment, the pair of rear left and righthanger arms 16 are divided into arm upper parts 16U and arm lower parts16L having receivers 18, and the arm upper parts 16U are pivotallysupported by the support shafts 17 and connected to upper sections ofthe pair of front left and right hanger arms 15 by the respective pairof left and right connection members 19 a and 19 b in the front and reardirection, and the arm lower parts 16L are supported by the connectionmembers 19 a and 19 b while enabled to change in position in the frontand rear direction in a range L. Therefore, by changing the positions inthe front and rear direction of the arm lower parts 16L of the pair ofrear left and right hanger arms 16, the distance between the receivers18 of the pair of front left and right hanger arms 15 and the receivers18 of the pair of rear left and right hanger arms 16 can be changedaccording to a type of the object to be conveyed W. By pushing upopening levers 20 a and 20 b provided on the pair of left and rightconnection members 19 a in the front and rear direction by operationmeans provided by the side of the traveling route, the pair of frontleft and right hanger arms 15 and the pair of rear left and right hangerarms 16 can be opened integrally.

In the hanger 14 of this embodiment, the receivers 18 of the pair ofrear left and right hanger arms 16 can be changed in position in theopening and closing direction (left and right lateral direction) of thehanger arms 16. In the following detailed description of the structureand action, the receivers 18 of the pair of rear left and right hangerarms 16 will be referred to as position switching target receivers 18.

On the lower ends of the pair of rear left and right hanger arms 16,that is, on the lower ends of the arm lower parts 16L, as shown in FIG.3 through FIG. 5, receiver support arm parts 16 a extending inward areprovided, and at the tip end of this receiver support arm part 16 a, apair of receiver support members 21 a and 21 b projecting inward areprovided in parallel. The position switching target receiver 18 isprovided with an attachment 18 b for supporting an object to be conveyedabove a substrate 18 a supported movably in the hanger arm opening andclosing direction on the receiver support members 21 a and 21 b, andbelow the substrate 18 a, a pair of link shaft support members 22 a and22 b which are in parallel to the receiver support members 21 a and 21 band freely fit between the receiver support members 21 a and 21 bareprojectedly provided, and the link shaft support members 22 a and 22 band the receiver support members 21 a and 21 b are connected by twopairs of parallel links 23 and 24 provided in parallel between the pairof link shaft support members 22 a and 22 b.

The lower ends of a pair of links 25 a and 25 b parallel to each otherforming the parallel links 23 and 24 are supported by lower supportshafts 26 a and 26 b laid across the pair of receiver support members 21a and 21 b, and the upper ends of the links 25 a and 25 b are supportedby upper support shafts 27 a and 27 b laid across the pair of link shaftsupport members 22 a and 22 b. Therefore, the position switching targetreceiver 18 can move in parallel between the inner position P1 and theouter position P2 in the hanger arm opening and closing direction whileaccompanied by parallel swings of the two pairs of parallel links 23 and24. At the time of this parallel movement between the inner position P1and the outer position P2, the substrate 18 a of the position switchingtarget receiver 18 floats from the pair of receiver support members 21 aand 21 b, however, they are supported by the pair of receiver supportmembers 21 a and 21 b when they are at the inner position P1 and theouter position P2 on both ends.

Between the pair of link shaft support members 22 a and 22 b on theposition switching target receiver 18 side and the pair of receiversupport members 21 a and 21 b on the hanger arm 16 side, as springmembers for pulling down the position switching target receiver 18 tothe receiver support member 21 a and 21 b side, two pairs of tensionsprings 28 a and 28 b are interposed. The tension springs 28 a and 28 bare formed by bending spring wire materials into S shapes, and areinterposed by externally fitting both end arc sections 29 and 30 to theupper support shafts 27 a and 27 b on the link shaft support members 22a and 22 b side and the lower support shafts 26 a and 26 b on thereceiver support member 21 a and 21 b side, and at this time, theinitial lengths of the tension springs 28 a and 28 b are set so that thedistances between both end arc sections 29 and 30 are slightly extendeddue to deformation against the elasticity of both end arc sections 29and 30, and tension is applied between the upper support shafts 27 a and27 b and the lower support shafts 26 a and 26 b.

In this embodiment, in order to obtain tension with necessary strength,two tension springs 28 a and 28 b are interposed each between the upperside support shafts 27 a and 27 b and the lower support shafts 26 a and26 b, however, depending on the design of the tension springs 28 a and28 b, one tension spring 28 a or 28 b may be interposed each between theupper support shafts 27 a and 27 b and the lower support shafts 26 a and26 b, or according to the circumstances, one or two parallel tensionsprings 28 a (or 28 b) may be interposed between the upper support shaft27 a (or 27 b) and the lower support shaft 26 a (or 26 b). Separatelyfrom the upper support shafts 27 a and 27 b and the lower support shafts26 a and 26 b pivotally supporting the parallel links, it is alsopossible that the pair of link shaft support members 22 a and 22 b onthe receiver 18 side and the pair of receiver support members 21 a and21 b on the hanger arm 16 side are provided with spring engagementsections, and tension springs are interposed between these springengagement sections. Of course, as the spring members, other than thetension springs 28 a ad 28 b constructed as described above, generalcoil springs and leaf springs can be used.

As shown in FIG. 11, shaft holes for inserting through the upper supportshafts 27 a and 27 b, provided on upper ends of the links 25 a and 25 bof the parallel links 23 and 24, serve as long holes 31 which extendvertically upward from the upper support shafts 27 a and 27 b when theposition switching target receiver 18 is at the outer position P2 (seeFIG. 8). Therefore, at the inner position P1 (see FIG. 7) or the outerposition P2 (see FIG. 8), the position switching target receiver 18which is at a level at which the substrate 18 a is supported by the pairof receiver support members 21 a and 21 b can be moved up in the rangeof the long holes 31 against the tensions of the tension springs 28 aand 28 b in the longitudinal directions of the long holes 31.

At middle positions of the parallel links 23 and 24 on the lower sidesof the pair of link shaft support members 22 a and 22 b on the positionswitching target receiver 18 side, at two points in the lower sidelongitudinal direction (two inner and outer points in the hanger armopening and closing direction), engagement recesses 32 a and 32 b areprovided. Between the pair of receiver support members 21 a and 21 b ofthe hanger arm 16 side, an engagement member 33 which engages in theinner engagement recess 32 a when the position switching target receiver18 is at the outer position P2 (see FIG. 8) and engages in the outerengagement recess 32 b when the position switching target receiver 18 isat the inner position P1 (see FIG. 7), is provided. This engagementmember 33 is formed of a round rod material whose both ends are fixed bymeans of welding, etc., to the pair of receiver support members 21 a and21 b at the middle position of the parallel links 23 and 24, and avertical engagement surface 34 is formed by cutting in the round rodmaterial peripheral surface. In a state that the position switchingtarget receiver 18 is at the outer position P2 and the engagement member33 engages in the inner engagement recess 32 a, the vertical engagementsurface 34 of the engagement member 33 comes into contact with the innervertical surface on one side of the inner engagement recess 32 a toprevent the position switching target receiver 18 from moving to theinner position P1. When the position switching target receiver 18 at theinner position P1 shown in FIG. 7 moves to the outer position P2, theposition switching target receiver 18 (lower sides of the pair of linkshaft support members 22 a and 22 b) gets onto the engagement member 33engaged in one side in the outer engagement recess 32 b by using adownward widening inclined side surface on one side of the outerengagement recess 32 b and the round rod material peripheral surface ofthe engagement member 33) to release the engagement between the outerengagement recess 32 b and the engagement member 33. The positionswitching target receiver 18 (lower sides of the pair of link shaftsupport members 22 a and 22 b) gets onto the engagement member 33 whileperforming upward movements of the upper support shafts 27 a and 27 b inthe long hole 31 and an upward movement of the position switching targetreceiver 18 (the pair of link shaft support members 22 a and 22 b)according to swinging and standing of the parallel links 23 and 24.

As is clear from the above-described construction, as shown in FIG. 7,the position switching target receiver 18 at the inner position P1 isonly held at the inner position P1 by engagement of the outer engagementrecess 32 b with the engagement member 33 by the tensile forces of thetension springs 28 a and 28 b, so that the position switching targetreceiver 18 can be forcibly moved to the outer position P2 by apredetermined or stronger operating force, however, as shown in FIG. 8,the position switching target receiver 18 at the outer position P2 isheld at this outer position P2 by engagement of the inner engagementrecess 32 a with the engagement member 33 by the tensile forces of thetension springs 28 a and 28 b and simultaneously completely preventedfrom moving to the inner position P1 by the contact between the innervertical surface on one side of the inner engagement recess 32 a and thevertical engagement surface 34 of the engagement member 33. That is, theposition switching target receiver 18 is locked at the outer positionP2, and in this state the position switching target receiver 18 cannotbeforcibly moved to the inner position P1.

As shown in FIG. 3 through FIG. 6, at the receiver switching positionsset in the traveling route of the conveying traveling body 1, receiverpushing-up means 35A and 35B and the receiver drive means 36A and 36Bare provided. The receiver pushing-up means 35A and 35B and the receiverdrive means 36B and 36B are provided one pair each on the left and rightsides parallel to other so as to correspond to the receivers 18, thatis, the position switching target receivers of the pair of rear left andright hanger arms 16 of the hanger 14 for supporting an object to beconveyed of the conveying traveling body 1 when the conveying travelingbody 1 stops at a predetermined position, and as described above, thepair of rear left and right hanger arms 16 including the positionswitching target receivers 18 are changeable in position in the range L,so that the positions of the receiver pushing-up means 35A and 35B areautomatically adjusted to be front and rear in the traveling directionof the conveying traveling body 1 in accordance with current positionsof the pair of rear let and right arms 16 when the conveying travelingbody 1 stops at a predetermined position.

That is, the receiving pushing-up means 35A and 35B are attached to apair of left and right movable members 37 a and 37 b, respectively,which are automatically adjusted in position to be front and rear in thetraveling direction of the conveying traveling body 1 in an interlockedmanner according to current positions of the pair of rear left and righthanger arms 16 when the conveying traveling body 1 stops at apredetermined position, and is constituted of elevating support arms 40which are supported on inner ends of the movable members 37 a and 37 bwhile enabled to freely elevate via elevating guide rods 38 and aredriven to elevate in a predetermined range by fluid pressure cylinders39, and pushers 41 attached to tip end upper sides of the elevatingsupport arms 40, and as shown in FIG. 8, the conveying traveling body 1whose position switching target receivers 18 are held at the outerpositions P2 stops at a predetermined position, as shown in FIG. 8 andFIG. 10, the pusher 41 is positioned just below the point between theinner links 25 a of the parallel links 23 and 24 and engagement members33, and in this state by raising the elevating support arms 40 by thefluid pressure cylinders 39, the pusher 41 enters between the pair ofleft and right receiver support members 41 a and 41 b from below and canpushup the position switching target receiver 18 via the pair of leftand right link shaft support members 22 a and 22 b.

The receiver drive means 36A and 36B can also be provided with downwardopen groove-shaped members 45 the same length as that of the range Lwhich can fit to the attachments 18 b for supporting an object to beconveyed on the position switching target receivers 18 on the lower endinner sides of the pair of rear left and right hanger arms 16 whereverthe current positions of the hanger arms 16 are in the range L when theconveying traveling body 1 stops at a predetermined position. The pairof left and right movable members 43 which individually support thegroove-shaped members 42 at their outer ends are supported laterallymovably in the left and right direction (opening and closing directionof the hanger arms 16 via a slide guide rail 45 and a slider 46 fittingto the slide guide rail on a mount 44 extending in the left and rightlateral direction disposed below the traveling route of the hanger 14for supporting an object to be conveyed, and are driven to reciprocateby a pair of left and right fluid pressure cylinders 47 interposedbetween the mount 44 and the groove-shaped members 42.

In the conveyance apparatus constructed as described above, when theconveying traveling body 1 whose position switching target receivers 18are held at the outer positions P2 arrives at the receiver switchingpositions, by positional adjustments of the movable members 37 a and 37b before or after this conveying traveling body 1 arrives at thereceiver switching position, as shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 10, thereceiver pushing-up means 35A and 35B positioned at predeterminedpositions immediately below these position switching target receivers 18are actuated. That is, by raising the elevating support arms 40 by thefluid pressure cylinders 39, as shown in FIG. 9, the pushers 41 whichenter between the pair of left and right receiver support members 21 aand 21 b from below push up the position switching target receivers 18via the pair of left and right link shaft support members 22 a and 22 b.As a result, with respect to the engagement members 33 fitted in theinner engagement recesses 32 a on the lower sides of the pair of leftand right link shaft support members 22 a and 22 b as shown in FIG. 8,the link shaft support members 22 a and 22 b are pushed up in the rangeof the lengths of the long holes 31 as shown in FIG. 9, and the innerengagement recesses 32 a are disengaged from the engagement members 33upward and the position switching target receivers 18 at the outerpositions P2 are unlocked.

On the other hand, when the conveying traveling body 1 arrives at thereceiver switching positions, wherever the pair of rear left and righthanger arms 16 are in the adjusting range L and whichever the positionsof the position switching target receivers 18 are at the inner positionsP1 or the outer positions P2, these position switching target receivers18 enter the insides of the downward open groove-shaped members 42waiting at home positions of the receiver drive means 36A and 36B asshown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 9. Therefore, as described above, the fluidpressure cylinders 47 of the receiver drive means 36A and 36B areactuated after the position switching target receivers 18 at the outerpositions P2 are unlocked by the receiver pushing-up means 35A and 35Band, as shown by the imaginary lines of FIG. 9, the groove-shapedmembers 42 are moved laterally to the inner side (the central positionsides in the left and right width direction of the conveying route) fromthe home positions, whereby the position switching target receivers 18unlocked at the outer positions P2 can be moved to the inner positionsP1 via the attachments 18 b for supporting an object to be conveyed.

After the inner engagement recesses 32 a move away from the engagementmembers 33 from the positions immediately above the engagement members33, the pushers 41 of the receiver pushing-up means 35A and 35B whichhad pushed up the position switching target receivers 18 for unlockingare dropped until the position switching target receivers 18 reach theinner positions P1. As a result, when the position switching targetreceivers 18 reach the inner positions P1, as shown in FIG. 7, theposition switching target receivers 18 are pulled down by the tensileforces of the tension springs 28 a and 28 b, so that the outerengagement recesses 32 b engage with the engagement members 33 and holdthe position switching target receivers 18 at the inner positions P1.

Position switching of the position switching target receivers 18 areperformed as described above by unlocking the position switching targetreceivers 18 locked at the outer positions P2 by the receiver pushing-upmeans 35A and 35B and moving these to the inner positions P1 by thereceiver drive means 35A and 35B, however, as shown in FIG. 7, to switchthe positions of the position switching target receivers 18 held at theinner positions P1 to the outer positions P2, the groove-shaped members42 of the receiver drive means 36A and 36B are immediately movedlaterally outward from the home positions without actuating the receiverpushing-up means 35A and 35B. In this case, as aforementioned, when theposition switching target receivers 18 are forcibly moved from the innerpositions P1 and the outer positions P2 by lateral movements of thegroove-shaped members 42 via the attachments 18 b for supporting anobject to be conveyed fitting to the groove-shaped members 42, the outerengagement recesses 32 b gets onto and over the engagement members 33and move outward while performing upward movements of the positionswitching target receivers 18 against the tensile forces of the tensionsprings 28 a and 28 b. Then, when the position switching targetreceivers 18 reach the outer positions P2, as shown in FIG. 8, theposition switching target receivers 18 are pulled down by the tensileforces of the tension springs 28 a and 28 b, the inner engagementrecesses 32 a engage with the engagement members 33, and the positionswitching target receivers 18 supported by the receiver support members21 a and 21 b are locked by the engagement members 33 (verticalengagement surfaces 34) and the inner engagement recesses 32 a engagingwith the engagement members.

As the hanger 14 for supporting an object to be conveyed, one includinga pair of rear left and right hanger arms 16 whose positions arechangeable for adjusting the distance to the pair of front left andright hanger arms is illustrated, however, the hanger 14 for supportingan object to be conveyed may also have front and rear hanger arms 15 and16 with a fixed distance there between. In addition, the hanger 14 withtwo front and rear pairs of hanger arms 15 and 16 is illustrated,however, a hanger for supporting an object to be conveyed which has apair of left and right hanger arms including front receivers and rearreceivers may also be used. Furthermore, among four receivers 18 intotal of two front and rear pairs on the left and right sides, the pairof rear left and right receivers 18 are made switchable in positionbetween the inner and outer positions in the hanger arm opening andclosing direction, however, all receivers 18 may also be switchable inposition.

An example in which the receiver pushing-up means 35A and 35B and thereceiver drive means 36A and 36B are provided at the receiver switchingpositions set in the traveling route of the conveying traveling body 1,is described above, however, if there are provided with receiverswitching positions at which only switching of the position switchingtarget receivers 18 from the inner positions P1 to the outer positionsP2 is performed, at these receiver switching positions, the receiverpushing-up means 35A and 35B are unnecessary. However, similar to therelationship between the inner engagement recesses 32 a and theengagement members 33, when the outer engagement recesses 32 b and theengagement members 33 are shaped to prevent the position switchingtarget receivers 18 held at the inner positions P1 from moving to theouter positions P2 and the long holes 31 are formed to extend upwarddirectly above the upper support shafts 27 a and 27 b when the positionswitching target receivers 18 are held at the inner positions P1 (thatis, formed into fan shapes) so as to enable the position switchingtarget receivers 18 to also be locked at the inner positions P1, thereceiver pushing-up means 35A and 35B are necessary at all receivingswitching positions.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The suspension conveyance apparatus according to the invention can beeffectively utilized in an automobile assembly line for assembling partsinto automobile bodies when at least two types of automobiles to besuspended on and conveyed by an openable and closable hanger, supportedby the hanger at different supported positions in the left and rightlateral direction.

1. A suspension conveyance apparatus in which a hanger for supporting anobject to be conveyed suspended on a conveying traveling body comprisinga pair of left and right openable and closable hanger arms which havereceivers for an object to be conveyed on lower end inner sides and arepivotally supported at upper end sides thereof so as to freely swing tothe left and right, wherein the receivers are switchable in positionbetween inner positions and outer positions in an opening and closingdirection with respect to the hanger arms, wherein the receivers aresupported on receiver support members on hanger arm sides by parallellinks laterally movably between the inner and outer positions, whereinat shaft support sections of the parallel links, long holes which allowvertical movements of the receivers are provided and urging means forurging the receivers to in a direction to pull down the receivers ontothe receiver support members are provided, and wherein at receiverswitching positions in a traveling route of the conveying travelingbody, receiver drive means are provided which move the receivers betweenthe inner and outer positions.
 2. The suspension conveyance apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein, an inner engagement recess is providedwhich engages with an engagement member when the receiver is at theouter position, and the engagement member prevents the receiver frommoving to the inner position, and among the receiver switching positionsat which the receiver drive means are provided, at a receiver switchingposition for switching the receiver from the outer position to the innerposition, a receiver pushing-up means is provided which pushes up thereceiver from the level supported by the receiver support members torelease the engagement between the inner engagement recess and theengagement member.
 3. The suspension conveyance apparatus according toclaim 2, wherein an outer engagement recess is provided which engageswith the engagement member when the receiver is at the inner position,and the engagement member enables the receiver to get onto and past theengagement member when the receiver moves to the outer position.
 4. Thesuspension conveyance apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a pair ofreceiver support members are arranged in parallel, link shaft supportmembers which freely fit between the pair of receiver support membersare projectedly provided on the receiver supported on these receiversupport members, and the parallel links are interposed between lowersupport shafts laid across the pair of receiver support members andupper support shafts provided on the link shaft support members, andlong holes at the shaft support sections of the parallel links areprovided as shaft holes which the upper support shafts of the parallellinks are inserted through, and the two inner and outer engagementrecesses are formed on the lower sides of the link shaft supportmembers, the engagement member is laid across the pair of receiversupport members, and the receiver pushing-up means is constructed topush up the lower sides of the link shaft support members between thepair of receiver support members.
 5. The suspension conveyance apparatusaccording to claim 2, wherein the urging means comprises tension springsinterposed between the lower support shafts and the upper support shaftswhich support the parallel links.
 6. The suspension conveyance apparatusaccording to claim 5, wherein the link shaft support members and theparallel links comprise one pair each arranged in parallel, and thetension springs are disposed between the pair of link shaft supportmembers.
 7. The suspension conveyance apparatus according to claim 5,wherein the tension springs are flat springs formed by bending both endsof a straight spring wire material into arc shapes on the same plane,and both arc sections are hooked around the lower support shafts and theupper support shafts.
 8. The suspension conveyance apparatus accordingto claim 7, wherein the tension springs are in S shapes whose arcsections on both ends are bent oppositely to each other.